the duchesse de langeais-第2节

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eld　dearer　than　life；　dearer　than　honour。

His　hopes　were　cruelly　dashed　at　once。　　Mass；　it　is　true；　was　celebrated　in　state。　　In　honour　of　such　a　solemnity；　the　curtains　which　always　hid　the　choir　were　drawn　back　to　display　its　riches；　its　valuable　paintings　and　shrines　so　bright　with　gems　that　they　eclipsed　the　glories　of　the　ex…votos　of　gold　and　silver　hung　up　by　sailors　of　the　port　on　the　columns　in　the　nave。　　But　all　the　nuns　had　taken　refuge　in　the　organ…loft。　　And　yet；　in　spite　of　this　first　check；　during　this　very　mass　of　thanksgiving；　the　most　intimately　thrilling　drama　that　ever　set　a　man's　heart　beating　opened　out　widely　before　him。

The　sister　who　played　the　organ　aroused　such　intense　enthusiasm；　that　not　a　single　man　regretted　that　he　had　come　to　the　service。　　Even　the　men　in　the　ranks　were　delighted；　and　the　officers　were　in　ecstasy。　　As　for　the　General；　he　was　seemingly　calm　and　indifferent。　　The　sensations　stirred　in　him　as　the　sister　played　one　piece　after　another　belong　to　the　small　number　of　things　which　it　is　not　lawful　to　utter；　words　are　powerless　to　express　them；　like　death；　God；　eternity；　they　can　only　be　realised　through　their　one　point　of　contact　with　humanity。　　Strangely　enough；　the　organ　music　seemed　to　belong　to　the　school　of　Rossini；　the　musician　who　brings　most　human　passion　into　his　art。

Some　day　his　works；　by　their　number　and　extent；　will　receive　the　reverence　due　to　the　Homer　of　music。　　From　among　all　the　scores　that　we　owe　to　his　great　genius；　the　nun　seemed　to　have　chosen　Moses　in　Egypt　for　special　study；　doubtless　because　the　spirit　of　sacred　music　finds　therein　its　supreme　expression。　　Perhaps　the　soul　of　the　great　musician；　so　gloriously　known　to　Europe；　and　the　soul　of　this　unknown　executant　had　met　in　the　intuitive　apprehension　of　the　same　poetry。　So　at　least　thought　two　dilettanti　officers　who　must　have　missed　the　Theatre　Favart　in　Spain。

At　last　in　the　Te　Deum　no　one　could　fail　to　discern　a　French　soul　in　the　sudden　change　that　came　over　the　music。　　Joy　for　the　victory　of　the　Most　Christian　King　evidently　stirred　this　nun's　heart　to　the　depths。　　She　was　a　Frenchwoman　beyond　mistake。　　Soon　the　love　of　country　shone　out；　breaking　forth　like　shafts　of　light　from　the　fugue；　as　the　sister　introduced　variations　with　all　a　Parisienne's　fastidious　taste；　and　blended　vague　suggestions　of　our　grandest　national　airs　with　her　music。　　A　Spaniard's　fingers　would　not　have　brought　this　warmth　into　a　graceful　tribute　paid　to　the　victorious　arms　of　France。　　The　musician's　nationality　was　revealed。

〃We　find　France　everywhere；　it　seems；〃　said　one　of　the　men。

The　General　had　left　the　church　during　the　Te　Deum；　he　could　not　listen　any　longer。　　The　nun's　music　had　been　a　revelation　of　a　woman　loved　to　frenzy；　a　woman　so　carefully　hidden　from　the　world's　eyes；　so　deeply　buried　in　the　bosom　of　the　Church；　that　hitherto　the　most　ingenious　and　persistent　efforts　made　by　men　who　brought　great　influence　and　unusual　powers　to　bear　upon　the　search　had　failed　to　find　her。　　The　suspicion　aroused　in　the　General's　heart　became　all　but　a　certainty　with　the　vague　reminiscence　of　a　sad；　delicious　melody；　the　air　of　Fleuve　du　Tage。　　The　woman　he　loved　had　played　the　prelude　to　the　ballad　in　a　boudoir　in　Paris；　how　often！　and　now　this　nun　had　chosen　the　song　to　express　an　exile's　longing；　amid　the　joy　of　those　that　triumphed。　　Terrible　sensation！　　To　hope　for　the　resurrection　of　a　lost　love；　to　find　her　only　to　know　that　she　was　lost；　to　catch　a　mysterious　glimpse　of　her　after　five　yearsfive　years；　in　which　the　pent…up　passion；　chafing　in　an　empty　life；　had　grown　the　mightier　for　every　fruitless　effort　to　satisfy　it！

Who　has　not　known；　at　least　once　in　his　life；　what　it　is　to　lose　some　precious　thing；　and　after　hunting　through　his　papers；　ransacking　his　memory；　and　turning　his　house　upside　down；　after　one　or　two　days　spent　in　vain　search；　and　hope；　and　despair；　after　a　prodigious　expenditure　of　the　liveliest　irritation　of　soul；　who　has　not　known　the　ineffable　pleasure　of　finding　that　all…important　nothing　which　had　come　to　be　a　king　of　monomania？　　Very　good。　　Now；　spread　that　fury　of　search　over　five　years；　put　a　woman；　put　a　heart；　put　love　in　the　place　of　the　trifle；　transpose　the　monomania　into　the　key　of　high　passion；　and；　furthermore；　let　the　seeker　be　a　man　of　ardent　temper；　with　a　lion's　heart　and　a　leonine　head　and　mane；　a　man　to　inspire　awe　and　fear　in　those　who　come　in　contact　with　himrealise　this；　and　you　may；　perhaps；　understand　why　the　General　walked　abruptly　out　of　the　church　when　the　first　notes　of　a　ballad；　which　he　used　to　hear　with　a　rapture　of　delight　in　a　gilt…panelled　boudoir；　began　to　vibrate　along　the　aisles　of　the　church　in　the　sea。

The　General　walked　away　down　the　steep　street　which　led　to　the　port；　and　only　stopped　when　he　could　not　hear　the　deep　notes　of　the　organ。　　Unable　to　think　of　anything　but　the　love　which　broke　out　in　volcanic　eruption；　filling　his　heart　with　fire；　he　only　knew　that　the　Te　Deum　was　over　when　the　Spanish　congregation　came　pouring　out　of　the　church。　　Feeling　that　his　behaviour　and　attitude　might　seem　ridiculous；　he　went　back　to　head　the　procession；　telling　the　alcalde　and　the　governor　that；　feeling　suddenly　faint；　he　had　gone　out　into　the　air。　　Casting　about　for　a　plea　for　prolonging　his　stay；　it　at　once　occurred　to　him　to　make　the　most　of　this　excuse；　framed　on　the　spur　of　the　moment。　　He　declined；　on　a　plea　of　increasing　indisposition；　to　preside　at　the　banquet　given　by　the　town　to　the　French　officers；　betook　himself　to　his　bed；　and　sent　a　message　to　the　Major…General；　to　the　effect　that　temporary　illness　obliged　him　to　leave　the　Colonel　in　command　of　the　troops　for　the　time　being。　　This　commonplace　but　very　plausible　stratagem　relieved　him　of　all　responsibility　for　the　time　necessary　to　carry　out　his　plans。　　The　General；　nothing　if　not　〃catholic　and　monarchical；〃　took　occasion　to　inform　himself　of　the　hours　of　the　services；　and　manifested　the　greatest　zeal　for　the　performance　of　his　religious　duties；　piety　which　caused　no　remark　in　Spain。

The　very　next　day；　while　the　division　was　marching　out　of　the　town；　the　General　went　to　the　convent　to　be　present　at　vespers。　　He　found　an　empty　church。　　The　townsfolk；　devout　though　they　were；　had　all　gone　down　to　the　quay　to　watch　the　embarkation　of　the　troops。　　He　felt　glad　to　be　the　only　man　there。　　He　tramped　noisily　up　the　nave；　clanking　his　spurs　till　the　vaulted　roof　rang　with　the　sound；　he　coughed；　he　talked　aloud　to　himself　to　let　the　nuns　know；　and　more　particularly　to　let　the　organist　know　that　if　the　troops　were　gone；　one　Frenchman　was　left　behind。　　Was　this　singular　warning　heard　and　understood？　　He　thought　so。　　It　seemed　to　him　that　in　the　Magnificat　the　organ　made　response　which　was　borne　to　him　on　the　vibrating　air。　　The　nun's　spirit　found　wings　in　music　and　fled　towards　him；　throbbing　with　the　rhythmical　pulse　of　the　sounds。　　Then；　in　all　its　might；　the　music　burst　forth　and　filled　the　church　with　warmth。　　The　Song　of　Joy　set　apart　in　the　sublime　liturgy　of　Latin　Christianity　to　express　the　exaltation　of　the　soul　in　the　presence　of　the　glory　of　the　ever…living　God；　became　the　utterance　of　a　heart　almost　terrified　by　its　gladness　in　the　presence　of　the　glory　of　a　mortal　love；　a　love　that　yet　lived；　a　love　that　had　risen　to　trouble　her　even　beyond　the　grave　in　which　the　nun　is　laid；　that　she　may　rise　again　as　the　bride　of　Christ。

The　organ　is　in　truth　the　grandest；　the　most　daring；　the　most　magnificent　of　all　instruments　invented　by　human　genius。　　It　is　a　whole　orchestra　in　itself。　　It　can　express　anything　in　response　to　a　skilled　touch。　　Surely　it　is　in　some　sort　a　pedestal　on　which　the　soul　poises　for　a　flight　forth　into　space；　essaying　on　her　course　to　draw　picture　after　picture　in　an　endless　series；　to　paint　human　life；　to　cross　the　Infinite　that　separates　heaven　from　earth？　　And　the　longer　a　dreamer　listens　to　those　giant　harmonies；　the　better　he　realises　that　nothing　save　this　hundred…voiced　choir　on　earth　can　fill　all　the　space　between　kneeling　men；　and　a　God　hidden　by　the　blinding　light　of　the　Sanctuary。　　The　music　is　the　one　interpreter　strong　enough　to　bear　up　the　prayers　of　humanity　to　heaven；　prayer　in　its　omnipotent　moods；　prayer　tinged　by　the　melancholy　of　many　different　natures；　coloured　by　meditative　ecstasy；　upspringing　with　the　impulse　of　repentanceblended　with　the　myriad　fancies　of　every　creed。　　Yes。　　In　those　long　vaulted　aisles　the　melodies　inspired　by　the　sense　of　things　divine　are　blent　with　a　grandeur　unknown　before；　are　decked　with　new　glory　and　might。　　Out　of　the　dim　daylight；　and　the　deep　silence　broken　by　the　chanting　of　the　choir　in　response　to　the　thunder　of　the　organ；　a　veil　is　woven　for　God；　and　the　brightness　of　His　attributes　shines　through　it。

And　this　wealth　of　holy　things　seemed　to　be　flung　down　like　a　grain　of　incense　upon　the　fragile　altar　raised　to　Love　beneath　the　eternal　throne　of　a　jealous　and　avenging　God。　　Indeed；　in　the　joy　of　the　nun　there　was　little　of　that　awe　and　gravity　which　should　harmonise　with　the　solemnities　of　the　Magnificat。　　She　had　enriched　the　music　with　graceful　variations；　earthly　gladness　throbbing　through　the　rhythm　of　each。　　In　such　brilli